5 Artists Who Should Be On Season 7 of UnSung

Another season of TVOne’s UnSung, the music documentary series to end all documentary series, has ended. After getting off to a shaky start with Isaac Hayes and Lou Rawls episodes, the series gained its footing and ended with amazing episodes on The Whispers, Mint Condition and Johnny Gill.

Of course, there are still many, many unheralded artists from the world of black music that deserve to have their stories told. Theoretically, Unsung could go up to Season 70 if they wanted. Here are five artists whose stories I hope are covered in Season 7 (and yes, I realize that a few of these are repeats from similar lists.I figure if I beg enough, the folks at TVOne will have a little mercy on me and just put these things into production already.

Tevin Campbell- An uber-talented prodigy whose career ended way before it should have. Tevin was a discovery of Quincy Jones, initially appearing as a featured vocalist on his 1989 Back on the Block album. Prince then got his fingerless gloves on Tevin, and recruited him to appear in 1990’s Graffiti Bridge. For the next half decade or so, Tevin was the male teen singer du jour, with hits like “Tell Me What You Want Me To Do,” “Alone With You,” “Can We Talk,” and “I’m Ready.” The latter song was the title track to his multi-platinum second album. 1996’s Back to the World was a good album with an all-star writing and production cast (Babyface and Puff Daddy were the big contributors) but Tevin had some imaging problems and quickly found himself usurped in the male teen sweepstakes by Usher (a more charismatic performer but a significantly inferior vocalist.) After one more album, Tevin fell off the planet, only to reappear on the police blotter following a George Michael-esque incident with an undercover cop. Almost 15 years later, there have been threats of a new album, a couple of YouTube videos, but…nothing beyond that. I feel like there’s a helluva story there. Tevin just has to tell it.

Living Colour-Rock ‘n roll is black music. Living Colour is the most successful all-black rock band in history. 2013 is the 25th anniversary of their ground-breaking debut album, Vivid. The band is still together. What better way to celebrate the diversity of the Black experience and black music than by devoting an hour to a band that did so much for busting down boundaries in the age of hair metal?

Jermaine Stewart-Best known for his 1986 smash “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off,” Stewart had a pretty colorful career. He began as a “Soul Train” dancer back in the Seventies, quickly befriending Jody Watley. From there, he became Shalamar’s backup dancer. When the group split up in 1983, Stewart hung out in the UK for a while (long enough to lend his distinctive pipes to Culture Club’s “Miss Me Blind.” Signing to Arista Records, Stewart’s solo career kicked off a year later with the dance hit “The Word is Out.” Jermaine wasn’t much of a singer, but his voice was unique, and he was striking from a visual standpoint. He was also a heck of a dancer, natch.

The hits dried up by the end of the Eighties, and there wasn’t much heard from Stewart until he passed away from AIDS-related complications in 1997. A somewhat sadly ironic fate, considering his biggest hit.

The Stylistics-Super-influential, a deep catalog of hits. Russell Thompkins Jr.’s voice is one of the most distinctive in pop music EVER. And I don’t know a flippin’ thing about these guys. I also think that most of the group members are still with us. TVOne, what are y’all waiting for? There’s a hole in my soul education that needs to be filled!

The System– David Frank and Mic Murphy were at the forefront of electro-soul. The stuff that Miguel and The Weeknd are doing now? This chocolate and vanilla duo was doing that shit three decades ago. Murphy’s distinctive voice (and impressive coif) gave the duo extra swagger. After scoring dance smashes with “It’s Passion” and the iconic “You Are in My System,” The System scored a series of R&B hits over the next couple of years, culminating with 1987’s “Don’t Disturb This Groove,” a massive crossover smash that should’ve pointed towards much bigger things. The duo released one more album before Murphy went solo (yeah, he did. I have his solo record!) Since then, Frank has become an in-demand producer/songwriter, helming songs for Christina Aguilera (“Genie in a Bottle,”) Dream (“He Loves U Not,”) and more. The duo reunites periodocally, but their last official studio album was back in the late Nineties.

I know there are plenty of other artists who are deserving of one of these specials, but I want you to tell me…who would you like to see on the next season of UnSung? Leave us a comment!

I would add The Boys mostly because there’s a fascinating “eff you to the industry” line (reportedly) that i think could be instructive, one that we don’t hear enough. By all accounts they walked away from Motown and went to Africa. THAT is a story I want to hear.

Maybe it’s a Life After show instead? lol

Gonzo says:

Mar 27, 2013

Great list, because as you noted – they could make oodles of these. Plenty of worthy artists. From this, I’d vote Jermaine Stewart and Living Colour. I’m kind of surprised there isn’t one for LC, actually.

I’d add:

Hamilton Bohannon
Slave
Jimmy Castor
Roberta Flack

Big Money says:

Mar 28, 2013

Tyler: The Boys are definitely high on my list too. Definitely an interesting story. Of course, now Hakeem produces for Akon.

Z: I’d watch any of those, but I think a Slave UnSung would be awesome.

So many to name, but The Originals, Chris Bender, Jerry Woo (known now as Harlem Lee), Ronnie Dyson, Starpoint, Billy Stewart, Slave, The System, Soul II Soul, The Shirelles, Lakeside, The Temprees, The Monitors, Bert Robinson, Sherrick, The Captiols, The Miracles (after Smokey left), Freda Payne and Linda Jones of “Hypnotized” fame. Those would be good to see.

Michelle Vaughn says:

Nov 27, 2013

I would like to see in December on Unsung Silk, Shai, Jodeci, H-town, Aretha Franklin, SWV, Patti LaBelle,Gladis Knight & the Pips

Michelle Vaughn says:

Nov 27, 2013

When will more artists be featured in December?

MJ says:

Dec 4, 2013

I don’t think “UnSung” will be back for a new season for at least a few months. I certainly wouldn’t consider Aretha “unsung” by a long shot.

The band SLAVE should been done a long time ago. They should be up there with ConFunkShun, Rick James, Earth, Wind & Fire, Switch, Aurra and many others.

diedre smith says:

May 14, 2015

New edition ready for the world brownstone

laronbennett says:

Jun 9, 2015

billygriffin

Africa says:

Nov 19, 2015

Terrence Trent D’Arby and Five Star. TTD was oe of the fathers of “neo-soul” and never got the props he was due. Five Star was a sensation from across the pond and had some definite jams, but just “fell off.” I would love to her their stories.

Leticia Dennis says:

Mar 28, 2016

I would like to see the guys from the movie, “Lean On Me”. They are RIFF. After the movie, they did a tour. What happened after that and where are they now?

Billy Stewart is definitely over due, there is nothing on the net about his tragic ending, Johnny G. Watson, The Moments, Gene Chandler, The Whatnauts, The Dramatics, Donnie Elbert also has a very interesting story, there is a lot more interesting artist that deserve to have there story heard before some of these newer younger singers who are still making music, to many folks don’t understand the meaning of the title “Unsung”

please, please, have the hot group Starpoint with the late lead singer Renee Diggs on unsung, I love to see her relatives from Annapolis, Maryland interviewed on the show real soon. I loved me some Renee a beautiful gorgeous black woman that made the group Starpoint. hot from the 1980’s my favorite group